Second Chances: Zibbs  written with Bamacrush
by gosgirl
Summary: Post episode tag. Ziva visits Gibbs after the events of Silent Night and a basement conversation leads to a change in their relationship. First time Zibbs. 3rd place in Outstanding Collaboration category - Hinky Awards 2012
1. Chapter 1: Mother Chicken

**SECOND CHANCES**

Authors: Gosgirl and Bamacrush  
>Rating: M<br>Pairing: Gibbs/Ziva  
>Category: Romancefriendship  
>Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended. <em>NCIS<em> and its characters are the property of DPB and CBS. If I had a silver-haired, blue-eyed Marine to play with, do you think I'd have time for writing?  
>Summary: Post episode tag. Ziva visits Gibbs after the events of <em>Silent Night<em> and a basement conversation leads to a change in their relationship. First time Zibbs.  
>AN: written as a Christmas present for our dear friend Zivacentric and really just an excuse for some boat sex! And we hope you're feeling better soon, hun!

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – Mother Chicken<strong>

When Gibbs heard movement in his kitchen, he knew it was most probably one of three people, depending on which of his team had decided it was their turn to check up on him after a tough case, usually under the pretext of feeding him.

All his team knew he retreated to his basement and climbed inside a bourbon bottle at such times, especially at Christmas.

So over the years, an unspoken 'rota' system seemed to have developed between them as they made sure he was okay and that he at least ate something to dilute the alcohol.

Sometimes each of them would stay to share the meal with him. Other times they each sensed when he needed to be alone and would just leave after delivering the food.

They'd perfected the art of caring for him without fuss or fanfare… and he'd long moved past his initial irritation and mostly welcomed the visits.

If it was Tony, the solid footsteps would not linger for long in the kitchen before his senior field agent would appear at the top of the stairs, beer and pizza in hand.

The rapid fire clomping of boots heading for his kitchen usually indicated Abby either delivering something homemade or arriving to cook a meal from scratch for him.

The fact that he'd heard no footsteps at all before the sound of cupboards opening and closing drifted down to his ears indicated that it was Ziva making herself at home in his kitchen.

Gibbs had been home for a while after leaving the team in MTAC watching _It's a Wonderful _Life. He'd dropped Quinn off at his daughter's house and made his phone call to Jackson... the first time he'd spoken to his father at Christmas for nearly twenty years.

After showering and changing, he'd headed to his basement for his usual dual solace of boat and bourbon.

So when he heard the sounds coming from his kitchen, he wasn't surprised to subsequently see Ziva appear at the top of the basement steps carrying two mugs.

When Ziva reached the bottom, she moved to where he was working on his boat, handing him his usual coffee with a smile, before leaning casually against the workbench as she sipped her own drink.

He acknowledged her with a tilt of the head, savouring the hot coffee as their usual companionable silence settled over them.

He noticed Ziva was still wearing the black jacket and sweater paired with grey trousers she'd worn during the day, her hair now loose from her earlier half ponytail, the thick tresses swinging around her shoulders, making his fingers itch to bury themselves in the silky mass.

Peeking at her mug, he raised an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes at his unspoken teasing as she answered, a small smile curving her lips.

"It is tea."

"You find tea in my kitchen?" He hid his grin in his mug, enjoying the standing joke between the two of them.

"No, I brought it with me." She raised an eyebrow at him before narrowing her eyes in a mock glare. "After you ran out the last time I was here, I thought it unlikely you would have replenished tea in this… coffee house. I hope it is not too much of a shock, allowing tea into your basement?"

He tilted his head, as if considering, "It'll be touch and go."

A soft snort of amusement escaped her as she reached into her jacket pocket, placing an oven timer on the bench.

"And dinner will be ready in an hour..." she announced in response to his raised eyebrow. "I thought it was my turn to play mother chicken tonight and deliver the care package."

He couldn't help the grin as he corrected her automatically. "Mother hen, Ziva."

"Ah, yes." The slight curve to her lips made him suspect, not for the first time, that she'd known all along what the correct idiom should be.

"As you know already, I think, Ziva."

She neither confirmed nor denied his comment but her smile widened, "But if my... mistake... makes you smile, then it is worth it."

Another grin was answer enough.

After a few minutes, he broke the comfortable silence.

"You didn't have to come over here tonight, Ziver, it's late. I can feed myself, y'know."

"Yes, but will you tonight? Even you need more than coffee and bourbon... sometimes."

_Need you_, was his immediate thought which he quashed with practiced ease.

He'd got so used to hiding his reaction to her over the years that he almost fooled himself sometimes, until a day when he'd stand too close to her, or when they indulged in that playful banter they both enjoyed.

Or, hardest of all, being alone with her here in his sanctuary, when his guard was down. Then his desire and longing for her would surface again and he'd spend the rest of the evening after she left trying to push it back into its box labelled 'too difficult to handle and too painful to deal with'.

Occasionally, Gibbs wondered if she returned his feelings.

Sometimes he thought he spied a glimpse of a similar desire reflected in her warm brown eyes, or a sparkle in her eyes when they flirted that seemed to be reserved only for him and he would wonder... and allow himself to hope.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Ziva finished her tea and nodded to him before moving towards the stairs. "There is enough food for dinner for tomorrow, if you wish."

"You're not staying?" He was sometimes able to persuade her to share the meal she'd delivered.

She hesitated, eyes skittering away from his, "I thought you might want to be alone."

He shrugged, trying to sound casual, "You should eat too. Stay?"

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2: Reflections

**SECOND CHANCES**

**Chapter 2 – Reflections**

_Gibbs shrugged, trying to sound casual, "You should eat too. Stay?"_

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><p>Ziva looked at him, considering for a few moments before replying almost shyly, "I would like that. Thank you."<p>

Gibbs nodded, reaching for the bottle to hide his relief. He poured her a shot of bourbon and went back to his boat. Ziva perched on a sawbench, content to watch him as he worked.

The peaceful atmosphere in the basement always soothed her, had always been a balm to frayed nerves after any case. Ziva found herself over the years valuing the time spent down here, almost as much as she delighted in the company...

She noticed Gibbs had changed since arriving home out of his earlier black polo, the one that always brought out his ice blue eyes.

Although what he was wearing now was no less distracting.

He'd changed into jeans and – _Elohim help her_ – his red hoodie, the one that always made her want to crawl up his front and rip it off him.

As the familiar burn of the bourbon slid down her throat, Ziva found her eyes drawn to the way the muscles in those powerful shoulders and long back flexed as he worked, how his jeans stretched over that taut butt… his slow, steady movements as calming as they were hypnotic... and arousing.

As always when she was alone with this man, her thoughts drifted into dangerous territory. She was beginning to find it harder and harder to suppress her reaction to him... her feelings _for_ him.

Her thoughts drifted back to her earlier conversation with Tony. She had impulsively blurted out a question to her partner that she had been asking herself quite a lot recently.

Did Tony regret not having a wife and kids at this time of year… a family?

Hanukkah was all about family and it seemed Christmas was the same. Tony never answered her, using his usual avoidance techniques, but she suspected his answer would be the same as hers.

_Yes._

And Gibbs always had an uncanny knack of making her want the impossible.

They had flirted with each other from the first, and that had since deepened into a close friendship that she'd come to increasingly rely on as the years passed.

Ziva had known the grief Gibbs carried within him from the deaths of his first wife and beloved daughter long before the rest of the team, and her heart ached at the pain he still suffered, even after all these years.

In some cases, time didn't heal... something she understood all too well.

But there were days when Ziva wanted nothing more than to try and ease the sadness she could see in those blue eyes.

Reaching for the bottle to pour a refill for them both, Ziva noticed the drawing on the table, recognising the uncannily accurate pencil portraits Quinn had been working on when he was holed up in interrogation.

Aware of Gibbs' watchful eyes, Ziva commented, "He has a rare talent. He has captured your likeness well."

"And yours."

"Everyone's." She smiled as her eyes ran over the familiar faces of the team… her family in so many ways.

Feeling uncharacteristically restless or perhaps more conscious than usual of the intense blue gaze being directed her way, Ziva began walking round The Kelly, trailing her fingers over the smooth lines... trying to push away mental images of being pinned against the side of the boat by his hard body...

... a common fantasy as she'd seen the vessel take shape.

"She must be almost finished, yes?"

"Yup, nearly. A few more months should see her done."

"She is beautiful."

He tilted his head, a small but pleased smile curling his lips as he looked over the boat in which he'd invested so much time and care. "She is that."

"I doubt I will get an answer but I will ask question anyway. How are you going to...?"

She could see him quirk an amused eyebrow at the familiar query approaching and broke off, throwing her hands up, laughing softly, seeing his delight at keeping everyone guessing. "Never mind. You do not intend telling anyone how you will get her out of the basement, do you?"

Gibbs shook his head, his familiar teasing smirk breaking out, "Nope."

"Then…" Ziva tilted her head, considering, eyes sparkling. "I will just have to start a covert surveillance operation."

"Yeah?" He chuckled, "Good luck with that."

She began pacing as she voiced her thoughts, aware of his amused gaze following her. "And I believe Jake from across the street would be a good recruit to keep a close eye on your activities."

"Yeah," Gibbs acknowledged, playing along. "He's an observant kid."

"And perhaps... Mrs Osborne next door. She always seem to be aware of what her neighbours are doing… and especially _you_," she said, teasing gently.

"_You_ might have better luck persuading her husband, Ziva," he shot back, dryly.

"Mmm, perhaps you are right." They shared grins before Ziva continued, the relaxed atmosphere tempting her to ask a question that had been on her mind for a while, "When you do launch The Kelly, will you...?" she trailed off, sounding suddenly unsure of herself and he looked at her curiously.

"Ziver?" he prompted, softly.

"One day, will you take me sailing?" She stole a glance at him before looking away, "Only if I will not be intruding."

"I'd like that." He couldn't believe his luck. He could not imagine a better way to spend a day than on the water, with such a beautiful view. And he wasn't talking about the water either.

A comfortable silence fell between them for the moment, each lost in their own thoughts.

Then Ziva remembered that Gibbs had not been with the team in MTAC for movie night. She had seen him earlier, leaving with Quinn and figured Gibbs was taking him home… if that lonely, sparse hotel could be called home.

"Did you take Quinn back to his hotel?"

"Nope... his daughter's house." When Ziva glanced at him in surprise, he shrugged before continuing, "It felt right. Abby's timing may have been off but her gut was right."

"He agreed? I thought he was... " Ziva paused as she searched for the right word to describe Quinn's earlier agitation, "determined not to renew contact?"

Gibbs shrugged, "I may have pushed him on that a bit." He stared off into the distance for a few moments before saying, softly, "He deserved a second chance."

"Did his daughter...?" Ziva asked, curious.

"Yeah... last I saw through the window was Quinn holding his grandson."

Ziva was pleased to hear it.

She'd developed a respect and liking for Quinn in the few days she'd known him, and it was typical of Gibbs to have given the man the opportunity to be with his family again.

Although she knew it would have been a bittersweet experience for Gibbs… that he himself would never have that chance with his own family. She knew Christmas was still the most difficult time of year for Gibbs, even after all these years.

His voice startled her and she turned, trying to school her face lest it give her away.

"Thought you might go back to Israel this month." When she looked at him askance, Gibbs elaborated, "For Hanukkah and to see your father."

"I spent enough time in Israel in the summer, Gibbs. I wanted to remain here with... with the team this year. Four months was a long time away from... everyone."

He heard the hesitation in her words but couldn't bring himself to hope they meant she was referring to him. He turned away to continue working before she could read something in his eyes.

Ziva refrained from revealing how she'd not felt at home in Israel during those long four months.

How, for the first time she could remember, she had felt utterly alone in the land of her birth.

How she'd missed everyone... and just how much she'd missed _him _with a longing that had stunned her.

Her mind went back to the phone call they'd shared, shortly after she'd been injured in the bomb blast at the club.

Ziva could still remember the worry in his voice and played back in her mind Gibbs rare admission of missing her down an open phone line, one that had her snatching up the phone in her father's office to admit quietly, 'I miss you too.'

She'd wished then for more privacy so they could continue the conversation, wanting nothing more than to make Gibbs understand that her words were meant mainly for him.

And there was an intimacy in the atmosphere tonight which was nagging at her... tempting her to take the next step, even if she was risking everything... their friendship, their working relationship, Rule 12... his respect.

But she was so tired of being alone... of wanting him so much... that the words for once made it passed her lips instead of being swallowed down.

"Sometimes I wish for a second chance too."

He froze at the warmth and tenderness in her voice, keeping his back to her, "You do?"

She took a deep breath… deciding it was now or never. "Yes, and do you know who I want that second chance with?"

At her words, his heart rate increased as his own longing poured through him, hardly daring to hope. He turned to face her, but she was facing away from him, head down, her curtain of hair hiding her face as she rested her hands on his boat.

"Tell me, Ziver. Who?" he prompted, stepping closer, his voice a gravelly rumble that caused a sharp intake of breath and a shiver of anticipation to roll down her spine.

She closed her eyes against his nearness, at the heat radiating from him as she felt his body right behind her.

Grasping her courage in both hands, she stepped over the line...

"You."

TBC...

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><p>Ooooh, did we break it there? *ducks*<p> 


	3. Chapter 3: Revelations

**SECOND CHANCES**

A/N: Okay, that was a little mean breaking it there but hard to resist... Hope you enjoy the, erm, climax.

**Chapter 3 – Revelations**

_Grasping her courage in both hands, Ziva stepped over the line..._

"_You."_

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><p>The word was no sooner out of her mouth than the dam burst.<p>

Gibbs grasped her shoulders, spinning her round and he barely absorbed the heated look in Ziva's smoky-brown eyes and the unguarded expression on her face before his mouth crashed down on hers.

The sudden contact was electrifying and Ziva felt her reaction zing through her as her hands came up automatically to curl into his sweatshirt, trying to pull him closer. She kissed Gibbs back fiercely, tongues duelling as they fought for control of the kiss.

Feeling his hands slide over her hips to tug her nearer, Ziva found herself moulded to his front, the heat from his body sending her senses into overdrive.

Sliding her hands up into his soft silver hair, she held his head steady as the intensity of the kiss increased.

When the need for air became a necessity, Gibbs tore his mouth away to trail his lips down the line of her throat, nuzzling the soft skin, letting her distinctive perfume surround him.

Before she could gather her wits, Ziva found herself being crowded back until she was pressed between the boat and his firm body... _at last_.

His hands came up to tangle in her hair and the feeling of his mouth moving over her neck, licking and nipping at her skin, sent tingles of pleasure up her spine. Arching shamelessly against him, her hands slid under his sweatshirt and roamed over his strong back, desperate to feel the muscles and warm skin under her fingers.

When Gibbs reared back to gaze down at her spread against the side of his boat, his lower body pinning her in place, Ziva saw a slow, lazy grin spread across his face.

One she'd not seen before... a grin of seductive, almost arrogant confidence.

One that was making her toes curl.

Letting her hands curl round his waist, her fingers trailed across the skin of his lower back, enjoying the heat in his darkened blue gaze as his fingers drifted slowly up her sides to cup her breasts. His low rough murmur of "So beautiful" made her shiver.

Through the haze of lust settling over her mind, a small part of her was conscious of the speed this was happening... her own overwhelming need threatening to swamp her senses.

Ziva knew they needed to talk but she acknowledged with an inward grin that talking wasn't exactly Gibbs style, so it was hardly a surprise that he was choosing actions over words to show her how he felt... at least at first.

And as those actions currently involved his large hands kneading her breasts, thumbs teasing her nipples into hardened peaks, she was hardly about to try and slow things down.

She wasn't sure that she could anyway... he just felt_ so_ good... provoking sensations so intense that her knees threatened to give way

Their foreplay had lasted years after all. Time for tender, lazy, sensuous explorations later.

Now all she wanted… _needed_… was to feel his strength, desperate to taste him, touch him, have him buried deep inside her.

She surged up to grasp his face, taking his mouth in a heated kiss full of longing.

His lips moved hungrily on hers and Ziva moaned into his mouth, feeling his hands slip under her sweater, the warmth of his skin branding her as his callused fingers stroked over her back.

As she swiftly divested Gibbs of both sweatshirt and T-shirt with a muttered "Too many clothes," she heard his snort of amusement.

Faced with his bare well-defined chest for the first time, Ziva wasted no time in gliding her hands over the solid shoulders and muscular arms onto his chest. Her mouth followed the path of her nails which scraped lightly over every hard ridge and firm hollow, her fingers carding through the sparse hair on his chest as she licked his nipples. She smiled against his skin at the low growl which erupted in his throat and ended with his mouth pressed against her neck.

His own hands were hardly idle.

Pushing Ziva's sweater up over her head, his hands slipped to the fastening on her pants while kicking out of his own shoes. He helped her shimmy out of her pants and groaned into her shoulder at the feel of her own small hands cupping him through the material of his jeans before busying themselves with his zipper.

As soon as he was free of pants and boxers, Gibbs pressed close between her legs, lifting her easily with hands under her perfect ass, encouraging her to wrap her legs round his waist, grinding his hardness against her already soaked panties.

Cupping her face, noting with a certain smug satisfaction her blown pupils, Gibbs covered her lips again in a searing kiss, drawing it out as he explored her mouth thoroughly. Unable to resist arching her hips against him, she held his head as his mouth wandered down her neck and fastened on her nipple through the lace of her bra.

Moaning his first name at the sudden sensation, Ziva felt him grin against her skin and let her head fall back against the boat, feeling the pulse between her legs throbbing as the intense need threatened to overwhelm her… and they'd barely started yet.

At this rate, she was not going to last very long.

As his hands moved to unhook her bra, Ziva found herself almost whimpering when the wet heat of his mouth returned to cover her nipple without any barrier, suckling and biting down gently.

Not wanting to break contact even for a moment, Gibbs slid his hands to her panties, the delicate lace soon ripped aside, but she couldn't bring herself to care about the ruined garment.

Pressing flush against her, he felt all of her for the first time.

The feel of his hardness rocking against her core pulled a mewling cry from her throat, which Gibbs swallowed as he captured her mouth again, nipping her lower lip, tongue sweeping inside.

Feeling the pleasure pooling low in her belly, Ziva struggled for enough control to run her hands over as much of his body as she could reach. Her mind registered the roughness of scars which she vowed to explore thoroughly later when he wasn't driving her out of her mind.

Drifting lower, her hand wrapped round him, the low moan into her neck making her smile with satisfaction.

She ran her fingers slowly up his length, thumb swirling over the leaking head, feeling him thicken and harden even further in her grasp, relishing the way he thrust into her fingers with each stroke.

Distracted by the feel of him in her hand, Ziva missed his touch sliding slowly over her hip until he was suddenly _there_ between her legs, rubbing along her slick folds, teasingly circling her clit before dipping first one and then two fingers inside.

Gibbs smirked as she bucked her hips towards his hand. The sudden powerful sensation made her almost whimper with need.

All her focus was on his tormenting fingers, her mind almost blanking out with the sheer pleasure of it.

Gibbs watched as her eyes closed and her head fall back against the boat as he twisted his fingers inside, feeling the slick walls begin to pulse around his fingers.

He bent his head to lick slowly up the line of her elegant neck, hearing... _and feeling_... her low moan deep in her throat.

Pulling his hand gently away, Gibbs moved closer, nudging his cock against her entrance before sliding slowly inside. Thrusting shallowly, a few inches deeper with each thrust, he felt her stretching and opening around him.

The feeling of being joined was incredible.

Gibbs stilled when he was fully... _deeply... _inside, forehead resting against hers, breaths mingling, lips hovering millimetres apart, dazed eyes locked.

Relishing every small feeling.

Absorbing every pulse of sensation.

Limbs encircling him tightly, Ziva locked her ankles behind his lower back to pull him deeper. She could feel her walls spasming around him, buried hot and hard inside her and savoured the feel of his powerful frame dominating her.

Beginning to thrust slowly at first, Gibbs held her hips as he pushed her against his boat... one fantasy among many unravelling underneath him.

A deep, steady rhythm built until the feel of her pulsing around him drew a long, low moan from his chest and triggered a build up of speed and power.

Deeper and faster, Gibbs slid in and out of her warmth, over and over. Rocking her pelvis to meet every rolling thrust of his hips, her nails raked over his back as Ziva pulled him impossibly closer, feeling his muscles rippling under her hands.

Her world narrowed to the feel of him over her... inside her... around her... the friction driving her higher and higher until he buried his face in her neck and growled, "Let it go, Ziver."

And that was enough.

Even now it seemed her body followed his orders and she broke first... screaming his name.

Ziva couldn't see, couldn't speak, couldn't hear... all she could feel were waves of intense pleasure crashing through her.

Gibbs clutched her tightly as he felt her clench around him. His heart pounded as his own orgasm hit, grinding against her almost desperately, muscles trembling with the effort as he pulsed inside her.

Clinging together, they waited for the world to right itself, breathing laboured as their heart rates gradually calmed.

Gibbs braced their combined weight against his boat, feeling Ziva clinging to him, nuzzling against his neck.

He would never think of Ziva as fragile, but he was very conscious of her small frame and the contrast in their sizes as he wrapped his arms more fully around her, almost cradling her.

Gibbs rubbed gently against her face, a barely there nuzzle, noses bumping softly as sated blue met smoky brown.

They exchanged soft, lazy kisses, smiling as lips clung and tugged gently... desperate hunger and need giving way to warm affection and loving tenderness, basking in their connection.

Gibbs slipped gently out of her and supported her weight as she unlocked her ankles and dropped her legs to the ground with a groan, sagging against him, her legs feeling shaky.

Cupping her face in his large hands, Gibbs returned to kissing her slowly, deeply and when the kiss came to a natural end, Ziva ran her fingers tenderly along his jawline, taking in every line of his handsome face.

"That was... just perfect," she murmured, revelling in the fact that now she could touch him as she wanted.

"Uh-huh..." He grinned at her. "Might even get my hearing back eventually."

Ziva chuckled, nuzzling into his neck, "I should have warned you I am a screamer."

"Not complaining. Love hearing you scream my name..." he admitted, his voice a low amused rumble.

"So did you figure out who is my second chance?" she asked, softly. Her hands slid round his back, unable to resist caressing his strong muscles.

"Might need a reminder... fairly soon." He nipped playfully at her neck, loving her soft laugh, before he abruptly sobered, "Yeah, I did, Ziva... want you too. Wanna spend more than the rest of the night showing ya how much."

Gibbs knew it was inadequate but as always, what was in his head never quite made it passed his lips sounding right. He wanted... _needed_... to say much more to her.

Ziva cupped his face, seeing his hesitancy and pulled his head down to kiss him slowly, deeply, trying to reassure him she understood. When the kiss ended, she whispered, "No rush. We have all the time we need... all night and beyond."

Time to let this urgent, all consuming heat transform into an emotional bond _her_ gut told her was what she'd been looking for all her life.

From the way, he pulled her close and held her tightly, murmuring her name, she had a feeling it had been the right thing to say. After standing wrapped up in one another for a few minutes, exchanging soft kisses and lazy caresses, a cheeky thought struck Ziva.

"If I have picked up a splinter, _you_ are finding it."

He snorted into her nbeck, "I can live with that."

Just then the timer went off, startling them both.

Pulling back to look into her warm brown eyes, Gibbs brushed her hair back from her face, enjoying the teasing curve of her lips, and her next words caused him to laugh out loud.

"I believe that means dinner is ready."

The end.

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><p>AN: Merry Christmas ZC...


End file.
